https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 02:02:54 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1156641 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 18:29:53 +0000 sandy 1156641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think there is something going on developmentally bc so many moms, including myself, went through this. My LO used to sleep so peacefully at night - usually 12-13 hours but around 18 months she would wake up crying a few times. I think it was separation anxiety for her. The only thing that worked was to leave her alone to work it out - worked 99% of the time and she would fall back asleep after a few minutes. If she continued to be upset I would go in and change her diaper and talk to her in a calming but firm voice that tell her "it's time for night night" and give her her lovey (stuffed bunny) and tell her "night night". I did this every time if I went in...like pp said I made sure to keep it short and simple so there's no incentive to have me come back in. After a few weeks (maybe a month) she was back to sleeping 12 hours with no waking/crying in the middle of the night. I think it's a common phase around 18 months</p> <p>ETA: I think having a lovey was crucial for her at this time. She's 23 months now and still very attached to her bunny (it stays in her crib/toddler bed) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1156064 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:54:17 +0000 mrsjazz 1156064@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We co-sleep and I still nurse so night wakings don't really bother me. She wakes up once or twice and asks for boobies, falls right back to sleep. I don't even want to think about what we'll do once we're weaning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1156037 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:46:25 +0000 Freckles 1156037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Springtime: I agree with @Sammyfab to not give milk. At this age, they definitely don't need the nighttime meal and will get used to it very quickly. On the rare occasion we do go in, we just pat her until she falls asleep and that seems to work. I would try delaying how long you wait before going in, and try extending it each night. It seems like extinction may work better. I find that ignoring their cries get harder as they get older!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155943 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:16:51 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 1155943@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO occasionally wakes up. He's 2. I ignore him for a while and 75 percent of the time he goes back to sleep on his own. If he keeps going, I go in, hug him, give him back his paci if he lost it, tuck him in and tell him it's still night-night. We keep it short and sweet so that he has little incentive to call for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155932 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:13:49 +0000 banana 1155932@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I go in, pick her up and put her back down right away once she stops crying. I do this over and over until she falls asleep. It's pretty exhausting to be honest. But it's worked for both of my kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155917 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:10:07 +0000 CottonCandy 1155917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh. We are dealing with this right now. It's SO annoying, and it makes it even harder now that they are older and can scream "Mommy"!!!! instead of just crying...Somehow, it makes me feel more guilty when I ignore LO when I hear the MOMMMYY scream. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155867 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:56:19 +0000 BananaPancakes 1155867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We either use extinction and don't go in at all, or I'll just go in to be sure he hasn't gone #2, then tuck him back in, start his Glow Seahorse back up, and let him CIO. There is no other option for him...he'll never fall asleep if we go back in or rock him. Luckily, he usually only wakes at night if he didn't nap well or stayed up late (overtired). But he can literally party all night when he does wake, so I feel for ya! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155853 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:52:04 +0000 Sammyfab 1155853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Springtime: I know...hearing them cry at bedtime or in the middle of the night is SO MUCH HARDER after you've gone through such a long period of good sleep! That's a big reason why we go to our LO right away when he is crying because we feel like something is legitimately wrong (and we have a video monitor so we can see him looking for his lovey).</p> <p>If extinction has worked in the past then I'd say it's your best bet. The good news is that even though they can pick up bad sleep habits super fast, I think they can re-learn good sleep habits just as fast. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155823 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:42:02 +0000 Springtime 1155823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Rainbow Sprinkles: Yikes! How long do you guys have to rock her? Sometimes I am rocking my LO for up to 45 minutes and then I put him back down in his crib and he's wide awake again and back to square one. </p> <p>@Sammyfab: Good point, I guess I didn't realize he doesn't need any milk, I always feel like he's thirsty, but I definitely don't want it to become a habit. I feel like extinction would work better than patting because if he sees you he wants to be picked up/rocked. It's just so hard! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155808 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:37:05 +0000 Springtime 1155808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: Not long at all, maybe 2-3 minutes. We sleep trained at 1 1 months and STTN until recently and has been having night wake ups for the past month. </p> <p>What do you do when you do get her? How do you get her to fall back asleep? </p> <p>I guess I should start just letting him cry again and see if he will put himself back to sleep, but I feel awful doing that, sleep training was hard enough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155805 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:35:35 +0000 Sammyfab 1155805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My little guy very rarely wakes up but if he does we go to him right away if he is crying. He only cries if he can't find his lovey so then we give it to him, tuck him in and say night night.</p> <p>I personally wouldn't give any milk at night. Nutritionally, he doesn't need it (unless he's sick / dehydrated or not eating solids well), and you're only teaching him to expect milk in the middle of the night. I would recommend that you choose an approach that he responds well to and you want to stick with in the long run. At this age, they will quickly take one night of snuggles and milk and turn it into a nightly habit. If picking him up makes him not want to go back down, would he respond to patting? Have you considered extinction if your presence just makes him less likely to go back to sleep? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155799 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:32:33 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 1155799@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is almost 18 months and she still wakes 2-3 times a night. My husband and I take turns rocking her. Sometimes she gets a bottle of whole milk.</p> <p>When we let her CIO, she screams for hours (including turning the lights on, banging her head on her crib, throwing things, throwing up, etc.). </p> <p>I feel like I am at my wit's end. I am subscribing to this! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155791 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:29:39 +0000 Freckles 1155791@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long do you wait before going to him? Was this recent or has he always been waking up at night?</p> <p>LO will cry at night once in a while, but we only go right away if her cries are loud/screaming. Otherwise, we wait 10 or so minutes. If it's almost wake-up time, we don't get her before 6:15am. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-to-do-for-toddler-night-wakings#post-1155773 Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:23:47 +0000 Springtime 1155773@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DS is 18 months old and night wakings are killing me. Usually I will get him out of his crib and rock him and give him a sippy of milk but this just causes him to not want to go back down in his crib and shortly after he will wake up again. </p> <p>Does your toddler still wake up in the middle of the night?How do you handle night wakings? </p>